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Suddenly, he was right beside her on his own steed, his hand touching her briefly on the arm.
Eir gasped and stared at him through snow-cluttered lashes.
“Come,” he urged, his voice distant as if he was speaking through a fog.
She followed on instinct alone, and so did Ere and Sorin on their steed. The four of them stuck closer together in the storm.
After what seemed like hours, they emerged to the other side.
Behind them, a black sky brewed, and the blizzard blew. But in front of them, a serene panorama unfolded like a winter wonderland.
A bright sun glistened off of powder-like snow. So soft and plush it looked like heaps of downy feathers covering the landscape. A quaint little village nestled into the side of a less imposing mountain, like a happy dwarf before the icy monolith in the distance.
Laughter reached their ears as they traveled farther into this enchanting dreamscape.
Children were playing on a small, frozen pond nearby. A few were meticulously stacking lumps of snow into various shapes, even building what appeared to be a fortress. Others chased each other around, throwing balls. shrieking happily when the missiles met their mark. And even when they missed.
“You are cold.”
Eir gasped when Kai enfolded her frozen hands in his, the toasty heat of him practically singeing her ice-chaffed skin.
She was Valkyrie; she was immortal. But not invincible, after all.
He was looking down at their hands as she looked up at him.
A lump formed in her throat inexplicably as she stared. It turned into an aching knot that spread like an acidic rash through her chest, gnawing at her heart.
She opened her mouth to say something, but she only floundered like a fish out of water, her lips moving but no sounds coming out.
She wanted him.
This beautiful, impossible man. She wanted to fix thewrong, but she didn’t know how.
As if he heard her thoughts, he raised his eyes and met hers.
For just that moment, they were unveiled. Bright, magical firestorms swirled within them.
She felt caught. Trapped. Imprisoned.
Most frightening of all, she had no thought of getting out.
Until the moment was broken when a giant snowball caught Kai on the side of his head, exploded on impact and splattered his face and shoulders with crushed ice.
“Ha!” Ere crowed from some distance away.
“I was aiming for the body, since it’s a much bigger target, but today must be my lucky day! Bet you can’t catch me, big bro! Get your grumpy ass off that horse!”
A chorus of giggles erupted around Ere, who was standing in the middle of a half dozen human boys and girls. His Mate Sorin stood slightly apart, arms folded over his chest, simply observing with a small, indulgent smile.
“Grumpy ass! Grumpy ass!” the children chanted after Ere, laughing at the strange words.
Kai let go of Eir’s hands, making her want to howl at the loss of his warmth.
“Fucking bane,” he muttered beneath his breath, his heavy brows lowering in a frightening scowl.
Another snowball struck him in the back, followed in rapid succession by three smaller ones.
Without a word, he dismounted, stalking slowly toward the frozen pond like a cranky…well, dragon…who’d been rudely awakened from his afternoon nap.
